Cornish residents struggling with mental health illnesses has 'roughly doubled'
Cornwall Council's urging people not to suffer in silence.
The number of people suffering with mental health illnesses in Cornwall has 'roughly doubled' since the first lockdown, according to Cornwall Council.
In a council meeting on Wednesday 11 November, councillors said they were concerned with the findings and would like residents to know that there is support available and that people shouldn’t ‘suffer in silence’.
A survey by independent group Healthwatch Cornwall over six weeks in June and July revealed that of the 1,731 participants, 13% had ‘probable’ depression/anxiety and 44% had ‘possible’ depression/anxiety.
In Cornwall Council’s residents’ survey in 2017 the figures were 5% and 22% respectively – roughly half.
“The figures are based on a survey of work that we did both in the first lockdown and then subsequent to that. It's not about people seeking services but about those people that responded to our survey.
“It’s an indication, but there's plenty of other indicators such as finding from national surveys and other responses, that suggest that there is an increase in mental health effects, but we don’t know how long that will last. We don’t know necessarily the long-term effects of that either."
Rachel Wigglesworth, Director of Public Health, Cornwall Council
Concerns focused on finances, the health of family members, fears around catching the virus, isolation and loneliness, and uncertainty about the future.
In response, Cornwall Council and its partners across the health and social care system have pulled together a range of materials including guides, web links, phone apps, z-cards for wallets and crucial information and contact details for anyone who finds themselves in crisis.
Support is being offered virtually as well as face-to-face, with targeted work going on in high risk groups and communities.
Initiatives include social prescribing at GP practices, a mobile crisis lorry run by charity Valued Lives, and expansion of debt management and mental health advice and support via CAB and Pentreath.
Cornwall Council leader, Cllr Julian German called these ‘extraordinary times’ and would like people to know that it’s ok not to be ok.
“As the lockdown continues and the nights draw in and many of us remain separated from our friends and families, it's not surprising that we've seen a rise in the number of people experiencing anxiety and depression.
“There's a wide range of resource out there that people can access so I absolutely encourage people to do so. “
Cllr Julian German, Council Leader, Cornwall Council.
The local authority has partnered with health and social care providers across the Duchy and have put a list of resources together which are available for anyone who finds themselves struggling with their mental health, which can be found on the council’s website here.
“Information and feedback from across our communities suggest people are feeling more anxious but may not be coming forward for help and support with their wellbeing.
"There is also evidence that some people who are already known to mental health services are attending with more severe symptoms which are requiring more intensive support.
“With this in mind we want to remind people that help is available and we would urge people to make use of the support services.
"I would also advise people to take time to relax, eat well, stay hydrated, and maintain a healthy and active lifestyle that includes good quality regular sleep patterns."
Dr Richard Sharpe, advanced public health practitioner at Cornwall Council
“It has been extremely encouraging to see how collaboratively service providers across statutory as well as 3rd and voluntary sectors have come together to tackle the impacts of the pandemic.
“We have established even more support to reach out to even more people with targeted schemes including the farming and fishing communities and more rural towns and villages.”
Tim Francis, Head of Joint Strategic Commissioning for Mental Health and Learning Disability, NHS Kernow
“As well as checking out the help and information on our website we would also urge everyone to follow the Five Ways to Wellbeing, which include staying in touch with family and friends, keeping active and healthy and trying new things.”
Cllr Sally Hawken, Portfolio holder for Children, Wellbeing and Public Health, Cornwall Council
The Five Ways to Wellbeing are:
- Connect – Lockdown or self-isolation doesn’t mean you can’t stay in touch with friends and loved-ones through social media, email, facetime/video calling or a good old-fashioned phone call.
- Be active – Staying active is vital for your physical and mental health, and lockdown doesn’t mean this is off limits. Check out the Healthy Cornwall website for ideas.
- Keep learning – Trying a new hobby or learning something new is a great way to keep the mind active so why not learn a musical instrument, try your hand at photography or become a crossword expert?
- Give - Supporting vulnerable people and/or volunteering can help you make new friends as well as make a huge difference in your community. For more information visit the Volunteer Cornwall website.
- Take notice – Try to be mindful of your environment and make the time to get as much sunlight, fresh air and nature as you can, while still sticking to the rules.